Tag Archives: headaches

Many of our clients are caring for or being cared for by a loved one. More than 65 million Americans care for family members who need assistance due to chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age. These millions of family caregivers may include spouses, parents, or children of the person receiving care. Even when family members are not providing direct care themselves, they are often still the ones who arrange for and manage the care their loved ones need. These people are still part of the caregiving team and share in the emotional and financial stresses that can result from being a caregiver. Caregivers are often so focused on the needs of the person for whom they are caring that they forget to care for themselves. This puts them at risk for caregiver burnout.

A colleague in Chicago, Robert Stelletello, Owner of Right at Home Oak Park / Chicago, has shared these thoughts in an ElderCare Matters piece recently:

It starts with your Father needing help monitoring his daily medications.

Not too much later he needs regular at-home care.

If you are a primary family caregiver, you understand the tough sacrifices and joys of helping your elderly loved one with daily routines such as bathing, dressing and eating, or making medical and financial decisions. Yet, without realizing it, your efforts to comfort and support your loved one may be eroding your own health by contributing to elevated risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and anxiety. Stress from caring for an aging loved one can also increase the likelihood of headaches, disrupt your sleep, and cause depression.